Electrochemical annealing and its relevance inmetal electroplating: An atomistic view

Using electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy we have studied the decay of monolayer high islands on Au(001) electrodes as a function of electrode potential and as a function of the specifically adsorbed ion on the surface. We find that island decay is diffusion-limited and transport rates depend strongly on electrode potential and on the specifically adsorbed ion, an effect qualitatively known for long now. In this study we quantitatively investigate the transport rates and find values for the relevant transport energy barriers in the different electrolytes